Not Quite Ememies
by Soski0692
Summary: This story is basically an AU to my other SesshoumaruXKagome story. Kagome lives in the Feudal Era. Sesshoumaru struggles with his beast's claim that the human female is meant to be his mate, but Rin has hit puberty and needs a human female in her life. Will he be able to continue to fight off his own heart and instincts?
1. Chapter 1

I'm back kiddies! I've been racking my brain for a sequel for More Than Friends, but I couldn't really think of much to advance that particular plot. So, instead, I decided to write up a fic about what would have happened if Kagome had gotten trapped in the Feudal Era instead of going back to her own time. Sort of an AU for my own fanfic, Enjoy. This first chapter technically has some spoilers, but if you're reading this you've most likely seen the first few episodes so don't worry about it.

 **Sesshoumaru**

 **Mate.**

The moment the human's scent reached him from the shoulder of the ogre, Sesshoumaru felt his beast slamming against its cage.

 _Silence. You've gone mad if you truly believe that a human female could ever be my mate._

 **Silence pup, she's more than she appears, claim her.**

The whelp leapt for the unmother, and Sesshoumaru pushed away his Beasts claims. Jaken's scheme was beneath him, but as long as he reached his goals, the means held no consequence to him.

"Jaken."

"Yes, me lord?" The little Imp turned to face the Daiyokai.

"Once we're through, I want him dead."

 **Claim the girl!**

 _Silence._

"Y-y-yes, me lord!"

Inu Yasha growled softly. "It is you," he muttered. "Sesshoumaru!"

"Indeed, I've quite missed you as well, little brother," Sesshoumaru mocked the half demon, knowing he'd rile easily and make a mistake that would cost him his life.

Kagome moved closer to the seething half demon. "He called you his brother! Does that mean he's…"

 **Claim our mate, you sniveling pup!**

Sesshoumaru focused a little more on the creature his beast was whining about. There wasn't an ounce of worth to her by his eyes.

"A mortal, how interesting," he said aloud, allowing a small slip in his control, as he mulled over the absurdity of the idea.

She moved closer to the whelp, angering his beast, but lifted her chin and looking him in the eye without fear.

"Yeah, what of it," she snapped.

He was tempted to growl at the blatant display of disrespect. How dare she look him in the eye and challenge him like an equal? He mentally shook himself and focused on the matter at hand, keeping his composure intact.

"Most would be ashamed, but with you little brother, the girl quite suits you."

 **Do not insult our mate by lumping her in with the Half-breed.**

 _She is not my mate. A human is beneath my status, and I shall reject her accordingly._

The chains pulled the unmother's head up, and Sesshoumaru refocused on the task at hand, riling up the whelp.

"These human creatures, I should think you've had enough of them. Or is it a taste from Father?"

The half breed became predictably angry. Clenching his fists like an impotent child. "That's not all, is it? You couldn't have come all this way just to tell be that!"

"Be not a fool, I've no such time to waste. The tomb of our father, where must I seek it?"

"Our father's tomb? Why ask me?!"

 _Ignorant as ever._

"Seeing, yet never seen. Protected, yet never know to its protector. No other clues are known."

"I got no idea what you're talking about!" The whelp pointed up at him with a snarl. "Besides even if I did there's no way I'd tell you!"

"I see, then you leave me no choice but to let your mother's suffering convince you."

 **You're making a terrible first impression.**

 _I told you once, I will not repeat myself again. I do no care to impress a creature no better than an insect._

Sesshoumaru whipped the ogre with his poison, in a mixture of frustration and to urge the creature to harm the unmother.

The girl gasped and looked to the Hanyou. "Inu Yasha!"

He felt a twinge within his chest as she called the whelp's name. This was unacceptable. He would not accept a human as his mate, and he would not tolerate his body reacting to such a creature. He would kill the damned thing first.

The entire sordid affair continued on. The moment the portal was open to the other world, he quickly leapt through, glad to leave the blasted wench behind.

As he stood before Tetsusgaia, the whelp and female's scent reach him long before they came into view. When he placed his hand upon the hilt of the blade, it zapped him, adding to the general sense of frustration that the day continued to produce.

When they arrived, the boy wasn't even interested in their father's sword. He disrespected their father over and over, and it was beginning to wear on his patience.

The whelp attempted to attack, and the Daiyokai couldn't help but taunt him.

"Now, was that aimed at me?"

The boy had gotten faster since the last he'd seen him, but he was still pathetically slow.

"You fight as though you're still a child." He continued to taunt the whelp, taking out a bit of his frustration with the day on the boy.

"Inu Yasha! Get the dumb sword!"

Again, his heart constricted upon hearing the female call out to the half breed. Had his control been any less, he might've ignored the whelp just to kill her.

"Sesshoumaru couldn't pull it out, right? If you can't hit him in the body, hit him in the ego! Hurt his pride," she continued to yell at the boy.

 _Insolent wench._

 **Mate has no reason to respect you, you've already made an ass of yourself.**

The boy failed to remove the sword, providing a small amount of self-satisfaction for the Daiyokai. With nothing better to do, he focused on ending the whelp. If he managed nothing else, he would at least take out a few birds with a single stone.

Jaken got into a spat with the human woman, and Sesshoumaru found his attention pulled to the female against his will.

"You stinking Toad!"

"You stinking Human!"

"This human's gunna kick your…"

"I don't think so!"

The woman cried out as the imp knocked her back, and his entire being nearly broke away from attacking the whelp as his instincts moved to protect her.

 _Unacceptable._ He need to kill the human before his body could betray him further.

"Kago…"

He slammed into the whelp before he could put a name to the creature his Beast had the audacity to claim.

"It that all you've got!"

"Not even close," the girl yelled back.

The boy leapt at him, like the idiot he was, and Sesshoumaru simply lifted his hand to impale the boy on his claws. He slammed the boy into the ground, intending to kill him and then the girl.

"Inu Yasha!" He flinched internally, hesitating just long enough to hear something scraping. "What? Oops."

He froze and glanced over his shoulder to see the female holding Tetsusgaia. How had some weak human managed to do something that a demon had been incapable of? Perhaps she wasn't as human as she appeared?

Her eyes met his, and he felt the deep inner pull for her instantly.

"It just came out!" She stared at him wide eyed. She needed to die, now, before this ridiculous reaction became any more of a problem.

"Sorry," she said softly before looking away to focus on the sword.

He was beside her in an instant, feeling a twinge of hurt as the girl cried out in fear.

 **You made your bed pup, deal with it.**

She couldn't be human. A human couldn't have pulled the sword free, and yet she had done it. A human couldn't be his mate, and yet his body and beast had already accepted her.

"What are you, and how did you draw the sword?" He glanced from the weapon to her eyes, fighting to keep himself under control. From this close, her scent soothed his nerves in ways that made him instantly loath her existence. He would not fall into the same depravity as his father.

"Sesshoumaru leave her alone, she's not involved in this," the whelp tried to gain his attention.

"Inu Yasha!" Being completely passed over by her as little more than a fly, was nearly his undoing.

 _Do not disrespect this Sesshoumaru! Pay attention when I deign to speak to you, you wretched creature!_

 **So much for not wanting her attention, huh?**

Suddenly the girl held up the word in his direction. "One step closer and I'll cut you!"

The damn creature was challenging him now!

He turned back to look at the whelp, wanting to justify killing the human woman. "For some reason, I was unable to draw Tetsusgaia. Fortunately, you were unable to draw it either. It's obvious that she must die."

 **You will not kill her!**

He brushed off the growling on his demon side, sure that this was the answer to the sudden issues that the creature was causing.

"You're right, it is weird that she could do when we couldn't but she's still just a human, girl," the whelp tried to reason with him. "Kagome!"

 _Kagome._ The word whispered through his mind in a way that nearly made him lose his carefully placed control.

"Give him the sword! There's no choice," the boy called to her.

"No way! Why does he automatically get to keep it! If he couldn't pull it out then that means he's not supposed to have it! He'll have to come and take it!"

He was tempted to growl. How dare this human challenge him? How dare she treat him as though he were inferior to her? He huffed as the half breed continued to argue with her, gaining her attention.

"Inu Yasha, your patience with this creature is astonishing to me." He flicked his hair out of his face and narrowed his eyes on the boy. "You protect her. Indulge her. Even seem to love her." His heart twisted painfully at the very thought of his brother claiming the female. Why should he care if the boy wanted her? He intended to kill them both, so it didn't matter. He stepped closer to the whelp as he contemplated it.

"Certainly such feelings of mercy of yours are not something I inherited from our great and terrible father…" he wondered aloud before he caught himself. "It must have been that mother of yours," he quickly covered his slip up. "That human mother, who caused our father to meet his end in this ignoble place."

He focused fully on the whelp. "Her blood affects you as well. Is it that which so endears you to them," he taunted.

"When it comes to humans, I of course, bare no such weakness."

 **Don't you dare.**

He turned on his heel, completely done with his beast's whining, and released his poison in the girl's direction.

With her dying breath, she called for his brother, and Sesshoumaru was shocked at the level of grief that swept through him. His beast howling in utter despair.

"So fragile, don't you agree little brother?" He turned his attention fully on the whelp and attacked ferociously, taking out the feelings of grief on the boy even as his entire being ached with it.

The moment she crawled out of the poisonous sludge left by his attack, he froze. Grief was replace by relief and he wanted to snarl at the ridiculousness of it all.

"Hey, you! You tried to kill me didn't you!"

 **Told you she was more than she appears.**

His focus was completely monopolized by the girl from that moment on. She was an enigma that he needed to figure out, though he refused to accept her as a mate. He watched as the woman came into her abilities. He watched as the Miko slowly became the most well-known being in feudal Japan.

Kagome had become a hero with the defeat of Naraku. She had reached a level of notoriety that she had technically become his equal, and she could no longer travel to her own time.

His instincts screamed to claim her. His beast had badgered and taunted him every step of the way. His soul ached every time he saw her with Inu Yasha. Though he had finally been forced to admit that she was worthy of him, he refused to even attempt to claim the human woman.

 **If you'd claimed her before, you wouldn't be so terrified of her rejection now, pup.**

 _I fear nothing!_

He sighed as he tried to pull his focus back to the task at hand. He'd been avoiding her ever since the final battle. He hadn't seen the Miko in months, but Rin seemed to have reached her heat and he needed a human female to teach her the ways of humans. The Miko was the only female he trusted with his ward.

He hated to admit it, but part of him was excited that he would see her.


	2. Chapter 2

Another chapter just for you lovely reviewers. Enjoy.

 **Kagome**

Kagome laid in the grass, watching the clouds roll by, completely and utterly bored. She was glad to see the land in peace, but after spending so long adventuring she was beginning to lose patience with the monotony.

She lived in the hut with Kaede and Shippo.

Sango and Miroku were expecting their first child.

Inu Yasha had been gone for a while.

She suspected he was searching for traces of Kikyou. She couldn't go anywhere without being recognized now. If it had been her own time she would have been considered famous and would have at least had paparazzi to fight off, but no. Nothing exciting for her.

 **Sesshoumaru**

He caught her scent long before she came into sight. The mere wiff soothing him as nothing else could. A shiver slid down his spine as he entered the clearing where she laid in the grass. She didn't seem to notice his presence and he was stuck by how well this time seemed to be agreeing with her.

Humans could change so much in the span of eight months.

Her hair was longer, her skin kissed with the light of the sun, and she'd matured nicely since he'd met her. If he had known what sort of woman she would become he never would have brushed her aside as inferior. Even now, he could feel her Miko powers flaring out at him.

He flexed the arm that she herself had given back to him. Yes, she was certainly his equal now.

 **Should have jumped on that when you had the chance.**

Sesshoumaru internally flinched as his beast reminded him exactly why he'd been avoiding her. He mentally shook himself.

Rin needed the Miko.

He needed to focus on why he'd come.

"Miko," he called softly.

She sat up and locked eyes with him.

His breath caught at the depth, knowledge, and power that those eyes always seemed to hold.

 _Focus._

 **Kagome**

She blinked up at the demon lord for a moment. She hadn't seen him since the final battle and was a little shocked to see him approaching her now.

His expression was impassive as always.

She'd often wondered what the beautiful demon could be thinking, but had long ago given up on ever guessing.

Oh yes, the demon was beautiful. The sort of beauty that was designed to attract one close enough to face their death. The perfect predator.

She shook her head, realizing that she had allowed her thoughts to wander, and stood to face him.

"Afternoon, Sesshoumaru. Did you have a reason for seeing me?"

 **Sesshoumaru**

His heart ached as his name slipped from those lips.

She had always said his name with such familiarity. It always served to remind him just exactly what he had rejected. What he could have had if he had only realized that the fates wouldn't have gifted him with a weak mate.

 **You reap what you sow, pup.**

 _I don't need to be reminded of my own past._

"I require your assistance, Miko." He'd never said her name aloud. Not once.

She tilted her head slightly and blinked those wide eyes at him. "Um, sure. What's up?"

He mentally shook himself again, forcing himself to focus. No other being had ever made him lose focus the way she could.

"Rin requires the guidance of a human female, immediately."

 **Kagome**

His expression never changed as he sort of asked for her help.

It made sense. Rin had to be around twelve by now, and the little girl only had Sesshoumaru and Jaken as far as she knew.

 _By the time I was twelve I'd…._ As the thought occurred to her, she realized why the demon had said immediately. _If she's started her period without ever being told about such things, the poor thing is probably scared to death!_

"Take me to her."

The Daiyokai stepped forward and picked her up before Kagome could protest and launched into the air. Kagome clung to the demon in fear, not quite trusting him not to drop her on purpose.

Sure the demon had become a sort of ally, but she also knew that she offended him regularly with her personality and her lack of decorum.

 **Sesshoumaru**

He had to concentrate to keep himself from reacting to the fear that marred her scent. Having her physically pressed to his chest had his heart racing and his body reacting as it always did to her presence.

 **Heh, I don't want anything to do with a human, no. I just want to claim her, and nuzzle her, and rut until we're both to sore to keep going.**

Images filtered past his consciousness which he would swear came from his demon if a mind reader were to ask at that moment.

He snorted softly and blazed across the sky, back to his ancestral home.

 **Kagome**

Sesshoumaru landed in a clearing and set her on her feet before walking toward a large ornate home. It could have been fit for royalty. Dark blues and gold decorated the house.

She rushed after the demon.

The house could wait till later. Rin needed her.

As soon as she entered the house she could hear the little girl sobbing.

Sesshoumaru motioned up the stairs, and she could have sworn that she saw a flicker of concern in his eyes.

Kagome rushed past him to where the sobbing was loudest. She found Rin curled up in a ball on the floor in front of a hearth, holding her stomach and crying. She rushed over to the child.

"Rin," she said softly as she dropped to the floor beside her.

"L-lady Kagome! Rin is dying," the small girl cried.

Kagome gently lifted her head to place it in her lap. "Shh, you're not dying. You're just becoming a woman."

"Why does it hurt?"

"Let's get you cleaned up and feeling better and then I'll explain it to you." Kagome looked over her shoulder to see Sesshoumaru standing there as she had been sure he would be. "I need warm water, and my bag from the village. I have herbs to help with the pains."

The demon nodded and disappeared. It wasn't long before a tiny demoness who looked to be barely older than Rin brought a basin of warm water and a couple cloths.

"Come on sweetie, let's get you cleaned up."

By the time Sesshoumaru had returned with her bag, she had Rin cleaned up and had the small child laying with a warm cloth on her belly, fast asleep.

"Thank you Sesshoumaru."

 **Sesshoumaru**

He watched as she rummaged through her bag and began grinding dried herbs.

She really was amazing.

He'd never seen another female with such open minded mothering instincts.

She treated any child as though they were her own. She had even adopted the demon kit, which he had brought along.

 **She would have made a good mother to our pups.**

His heart twisted sharply at just how appealing that idea was. He quickly shook it off and focused to the human child that had come to mean so much to him.

"Is she in heat?"

Kagome glanced over her shoulder at him and frowned. "Not exactly, humans don't go into heat… Let me take care of her, and I'll explain it a little more." She brewed the herbs into a tea and woke the child long enough to have her drink the mixture before lulling the child back to sleep.

When she stood, she seemed surprised to see him still standing there.

Sesshoumaru turned and led the way down stairs to the sitting room where he'd left her kit.

"Where's momma?" The kit hopped up as soon as he entered the room, followed shortly by the Miko.

"Shh, Rin is sleeping Shippo." The boy flushed with embarrassment, and he was once again struck by how good the female was with children.

He watched as she sat down with the Kit. She explained that they were there to help Rin, but it was nothing for him to worry about. When the boy fell asleep she finally graced him with her attention.

"May we speak outside, Sesshoumaru? I don't want to wake him up."

He nodded and followed her out onto the front steps where she sat and looked up at the dark sky.

 **Kagome**

 _How do you explain a period to a demon?_

She supposed it would be good practice for when she explained it to Rin.

"All right, I'm going to start by saying that demon mating is absolutely nothing like humans."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could have almost sworn that the demon's mouth had dropped open slightly before his impassive mask was firmly back in place.

"What would a human know of demon mating?"

She huffed and stared at the demon blankly. "You forget that I can read. When I adopted Shippo, I made it a priority to learn about the child that I was taking on. Something you yourself should have done when you took on Rin."

The demon narrowed his eyes at her for a moment before looking up at the sky.

"Continue explaining human mating habits."

 _Arrogant jerk._

Kagome sighed and regathered her thoughts. "All right, what Rin is going through is called a period. It's something all human women have when they are of child bearing age. Every month human women's bodies line their uterus with extra nutrients and when she doesn't get pregnant the lining expires and the woman bleeds to remove the extra gunk and the process starts all over. This happens every month for about five to seven days depending on the woman."

She finally looked over at the demon lord to see him blinking at her in something akin to horror.

"This happens every month?"

Kagome nodded solemnly.

The demon breathed deeply before turning to look away.

"So… She will not be searching for a mate?"

"Oh no, no, no, no! Rin's just a little girl, it'll be years before she's ready for that sort of thing."

 **Sesshoumaru**

He took in the Miko's words and nodded to acknowledge that he had heard her. The knowledge put him at ease. It also explained something that he had long wondered.

The Miko was definitely of child bearing age, and yet remained pure. It seemed that humans had a bit more freedom in choosing their partners.

She had certainly proven herself to be knowledgeable about such things. Though he hadn't expected her to have knowledge on how demon mating worked.

His attention was drawn to her, as the Miko yawned.

"I'm going to go get some sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight, Sesshoumaru."

 _Goodnight, Sesshoumaru._

As soon as the canvas fell back over the door he allowed himself to drop down to sit on the step she had occupied a moment before.

 **The human pup needs a mother, why not ask our mate to stay?**

 _What makes you think she'd want anything to do with us?_

 **After the way you behaved? She wouldn't. She loves the pup though, and it might give you a chance to fix the mess you've made.**

Sesshoumaru stared up at the stars, silently contemplating whether or not he wanted the Miko to stay.


	3. Chapter 3

**Kagome**

"Lady Kagome," someone whispered loudly.

Kagome sat up quickly to find Rin wringing her hands and staring at her earnestly. "What is it sweetie?"

"Lady Kagome, Rin's stomach is starting to hurt again."

Kagome nodded and dug through her bag to prepare another herbal blend for the little girl. Her shuffling woke Shippo, who blinked at Rin oddly.

"Hi Rin," the little fox demon said softly.

"Morning Shippo, are you staying here with lady Kagome?"

"Sesshoumaru brought me, but momma said we were here to help you. Are you ok?"

The little girl blushed brightly as Kagome continued her work. "Lady Kagome says that Rin is fine."

"You are fine, sweetie. This is perfectly normal for girls your age. Later we'll go outside to play and I'll tell you more about it," Kagome said softly. When the herbal tea was ready, Kagome handed the cup to Rin.

"You stinking human, what are you doing here! Lord Sesshoumaru will not be pleased!"

Kagome flinched as the screeching voice of Jaken met her ears. She narrowed her eyes on the little Kappa and zapped him with a bit of her Miko power.

"HOW DARE YOU INSULT ONE OF LORD SESSHOUMARU'S MO…."

"Jaken."

The four of them turned to see the demon lord in question standing in the doorway.

Kagome nearly let her jaw drop. She had never seen Sesshoumaru without his armor or the fluffy thing. She'd sort of started to assume that the furry thing was attached.

"Y-y-yes, me lord?"

"The Miko and her kit are our guests, treat them with the respect they deserve." His golden eyes shifted from the imp to his ward.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, Lady Kagome has brought herbs to help Rin feel better," the girl said happily.

The daiyokai nodded before walking out of the room, Jaken close on his heel.

"I'm going to take these two out to play for a while, Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru paused for a moment. "Perhaps it would be wiser to break their fast first."

 _Why didn't I think of that?_ Kagome nearly face palmed at the reminder that they hadn't had breakfast yet. "Of course, I guess I was just glad for them both to have someone to play with."

"Hn."

"Come on, Lady Kagome, Kiriyu is a wonderful cook," Rin said as she lead the two of them after Sesshoumaru.

When they were all settled on their cushions, the food was brought out.

Kagome laughed and talked with the children, getting the distinct feeling that she was being watched. Every time she glanced at Jaken, is eyes were firmly glued to the table.

Sesshoumaru seemed completely indifferent to her presence as well.

 _Must be your imagination Kagome._

She smiled to herself and returned to the children's conversation.

"Rin is finished!"

"Me too," Shippo added.

"All right, I guess we can head outside now if it's ok with Sesshoumaru." This time when she looked over at him, her eyes met his golden ones. Had he been anyone else, she would have sworn she saw a flicker of emotion in the Daiyokai's eyes, but she knew better. _Probably just a trick of the light._

He nodded once, and both kids squealed in delight.

"Yay! Come on, Rin, let's go play," Shippo said, jumping up and leading the way outside.

Kagome stood and the little girl grabber her hand, dragging her along with the two children. Rin led them all behind the house to reveal a beautiful flower garden. "Wow, it's lovely Rin."

"Lord Sesshoumaru had them planted after Rin asked for flowers Lady Kagome."

 _So he does have a soft spot somewhere beneath that flat mask._ Kagome smiled at the thought and began chasing the children through the flowers.

 **Sesshoumaru**

He watched silently as the Miko chased Rin and the kit. As long as he stayed by the house, the Miko would never notice. It was ridiculous. A Daiyokai, practically hiding from a human Miko, but he couldn't help it.

As soon as he'd acknowledged her as an equal, he'd sealed his fate.

Now that she was so close, the pull to be near her was becoming stronger. The ache of not being with his own mate wrapped fiercely around his heart.

 **You tried to kill me didn't you?** His beast mocked him with his biggest regret. **You are the one who chose not to listen.**

He closed his eyes, forcing back his instincts with a small shake of his head. He needed to focus. He needed to decide whether or not to ask her to stay.

If she stayed, the pull would only get worse.

He was stronger than most, but even he wouldn't be able to fight himself forever. Not now that he'd acknowledged her, and he very much doubted she would accept any advances from him. He'd probably get himself purified, if she stayed.

On the other hand, the very thought of watching her walk away again twisted his heart and soul in a way that he could hardly tolerate.

For the first time since he'd met her, she was free of Inu Yasha's despicable scent. He had no idea where the whelp had slunk off to, but he hoped the boy would stay there.

 **You might as well stop debating it and just ask her to stay. As stubborn as you are, even you can't fight a mating pull forever. You'll go mad trying.**

For once, he had to agree. His demon side was right. It was just a matter of figuring out how to go about it. He brought his attention back to the three of them again for a moment. It had been awhile since he'd seen the Miko so care-free, or Rin for that matter.

With a small sigh, the demon turned on his heel, forcing himself to go back inside.

 **Kagome**

By mid-afternoon they had made flower crowns and Shippo had fallen asleep in the flowers.

Kagome sat close enough that she could still see him, but far enough that she and Rin wouldn't disturb him as the little girl brought her flowers.

"Lady Kagome."

She looked up expecting another flower. Instead the small girl sat in front of her looking worried.

"What's wrong Rin, have the herbs worn off?"

Rin's eyes widened and she shook her head quickly. "No, Lady Kagome, it's not that. Rin just wanted to ask if you would tell Rin why Rin is not sick."

 _Right._

Kagome smiled. "Sure Rin."

Kagome began her explanation. It didn't take long before the little girl was staring at her in horror, and Kagome was wondering if she might have overdone it considering she was in feudal Japan.

She swallowed thickly, picking at her fingers as she contemplated what Kagome had told her. "So, Rin only has to do _that_ with someone she loves?

"Yes, in the very far future… Many, many years from now."

Rin nodded, looking down at her hands for a moment before she eyed Kagome curiously. "Does Lady Kagome love anyone?"

Kagome blanched as heat rushed to her face at the little girl's question.

"No, Rin. I don't love anyone."

"Why not, surely Lady Kagome is old enough for such things?"

"Like I said, Rin. Many, many years. It's normal to take your time finding someone to love who respects you and doesn't just want you because you look like someone else and doesn't yell at you all the time and doesn't"

"Lady Kagome, you're rambling."

Kagome blushed as she realized what she had just said. "Sorry Rin."

"Rin always thought Lady Kagome loved Inu Yasha."

Kagome's face fell and she shook her head as she stood and ruffled the girl's hair. "No Rin." She gathered Shippo up and carried him back to the house.

"Lady Kagome."

She looked up when they approached the house to see the young demoness that had brought her the basin of water.

"I was sent to inform you that dinner will be served shortly."

Shippo popped up from her arms. "Did someone mention food?"

Kagome laughed and ruffled his hair before setting him down. The children rushed past the demoness.

"Thank you," Kagome said with a nod as she passed her as well.

"Please do not thank me Lady Kagome, we all owe you a debt for the final destruction of Naraku."

Kagome cringed and rushed inside.

"… taught Rin all about what was wrong and now Rin isn't sad anymore."

"Hn."

Kagome settled at the table just as the conversation took an awkward turn.

"Lord Sesshoumaru have you ever loved anyone."

Kagome's eyes snapped to the girl in horror as she realized where the conversation was going.

The demon lifted a single eyebrow, glancing from the small girl to her. "No Rin."

"If Lord Sesshoumaru has never loved does that mean he has never been with a woman?"

Kagome's head hit the table so fast that Rin jumped.

"Lady Kagome are you okay?"

"Momma?"

She lifted her head, rubbing her temples. "Rin, it is not appropriate to ask such questions."

"Hn."

She glanced over to see that Sesshoumaru was glaring at her with a look of irritation.

"But Lady Kagome, you said it was perfectly normal! You haven't been with a man either, it's nothing to be ashamed of."

Kagome face-palmed. "Normal does not mean appropriate dinner conversation, Rin."

"Oh."

"What is she talking about Momma?"

Kagome glanced at the demon child in new found horror. "You are not old enough for that conversation, Shippo."

"I am unsure if Rin is old enough for this conversation," Sesshoumaru added.

Kagome turned her attention to the demon lord curiously. She had almost expected him to kick her out for over-stepping her boundaries.

He seemed calm enough about it though.

The rest of dinner passed without further incident.

"Miko."

Kagome froze and turned back to look at Sesshoumaru.

He watched her silently for a moment before continuing. "A room has been made up for yourself and your kit. Kiriyu will show you to your room."

Kagome turned to see the demoness from before standing in the doorway.

"Come, Lady Kagome."

She followed her upstairs into a room where two sleeping mats had already been set up. Shippo popped into the room as soon as the demoness left, followed shortly by Rin. Before long the two of them had passed out on the floor.

Kagome smiled and tip-toed out of the room. Planning to go outside to enjoy a bit of peace. She moved carefully through the house hoping not to catch the attention of a certain demon lord.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sesshoumaru**

Sesshoumaru sat in a tree overlooking his home. He had meant to ask the Miko at dinner if she would consider staying, but the words simply hadn't been forthcoming.

The squeak of wood brought his attention to the front entrance, where his little Miko appeared to be sneaking out. She moved quietly around the house, heading toward the gardens.

He left the tree to follow her. From this distance he could smell the nuances in her scent.

Something was worrying the Miko. She moved to the small pond in the middle of the gardens and dropped down beside it.

Sesshoumaru hesitated for only a moment before moving to stand beside her. "Something troubles you."

She looked up at him with sadness coloring her eyes, and he felt a sharp pain at the emotions. His Miko should never have to feel sadness.

"I'm sure you don't want to hear about my problems." She turned back to the water even as his heart sank from her dismissal.

 **If you want her to treat you as more than an ass that tried to kill her, you'll have to make a bit more effort than that you self-centered pup.**

He huffed, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on from his beast's constant input.

Kagome turned again at the noise and blinked up at him.

"I would not inquire if I did not care to hear the answer Miko."

As she looked him in the eye he was tempted to pull her onto her feet and into his arms, but he quickly forced back the urge.

 **You know there is such a thing as a grey area. There is a place in between 'I hate you' and 'I want to fuck you senseless'.**

 _I am well aware of that! You're distracting me._

 **Distracting you? Pup, you distract yourself.**

Oh yes, a headache was definitely coming on.

"I was just wondering how I ended up so alone."

Her soft-spoken words were nearly enough to shatter his resolve. His mate shouldn't feel lonely. His mate shouldn't be sad. His mate should be with him….

Mates weren't meant to stay separated….

"You are not alone, Miko. You have the Kit and…"

"I know I have Shippo, that's not what I meant. I just…. I thought I had a reason to stay here. I thought I was in love…"

He snorted without meaning to and he was rewarded by the loveliest laugh he'd ever heard.

"I know, I know, you and Inu Yasha hate each other. I told you, you wouldn't want to hear it."

"You no longer smell of the whelp."

Kagome laughed again, bitterly. "I caught him jerking off while saying Kikyou's name. Told him that if he truly only saw me as her then he needed to leave, and I haven't seen the jerk since."

"That whelp has less sense than I thought," Sesshoumaru muttered before he could catch himself.

"Yeah, well, it would have been nice to know that before I chose to leave my own time for him. I could have gone home and moved on."

His heart constricted violently at the thought of losing her permanently. Oh yes, the bond was definitely getting stronger with her so close by.

"No… I wouldn't have been able to move on at all. I've spent too much time here. I feel like I'm supposed to be here, you know? But for the life of me, I can't figure out what my purpose is now that the jewel is gone."

 **She knows she belongs here with us.**

 _I do not require your input._

Sesshoumaru watched her silently as she pulled bits of grass from the ground and tossed them into the water.

"Rin needs a human female in her life."

Kagome turned to look at him curiously.

"As you seem to have lost your pack, and my own pack lacks a human female for her, would you consider staying?"

There, he'd said it. Sesshoumaru watched her, keeping his impassive mask firmly in place as he waited anxiously for her reaction.

 **Kagome**

 _He wants me to stay?_

She blinked up at the demon in total shock. She really had nothing tying her to the village anymore. If she was honest, Kagome couldn't think of a single reason not to accept his offer, but she still hesitated.

"I… I don't know if that's such a good idea… I mean don't demons have a thing about killing the male children of another demon…."

He smirked. "You really have read up on my kind. It's true of many packs. Alpha males usually won't accept the young of another demon in packs. However, dog demons do not feel that particular compulsion."

"Oh," she said softly, looking away. "Why would you want me around to annoy you? I mean, I'm not really proper by this time's standards."

Had she been looking at him, she would have seen the flash of hurt in his eyes.

"My pack needs a strong female. You have the instincts and strength to protect Rin. I've seen you provide and care for your own pack, and you're the only being that I would trust with her."

Kagome giggled. "That sounds suspiciously like a compliment, Sesshoumaru."

"Consider it an honor to have received one, you may be the only being to ever do so from this Sesshoumaru."

Kagome burst out laughing before flopping backward to lay on the ground and look up at him from her back. "You know, I think this is the most you've ever spoken to me."

 **Sesshoumaru**

His instincts were rioting as she looked up at him from such a submissive position. He ached from head to toe with the effort to keep himself still.

"Hn." The noise escaped his throat and the Miko must have taken it as an answer to her comment.

"I was just saying it was different is all. It's hard to find people to talk to in this time that are educated, you know?"

He managed a smirk at that. "I'm well aware of the struggle."

The Miko gaped up at him. "Did you just agree with me?"

He turned and moved to go back to the house. "Perhaps you were hearing things?"

 **Kagome**

She stared after him in complete and utter shock.

The demon lord of the west was TEASING her. Sesshoumaru. 'The killing perfection', was _teasing_ her!

No matter how she said it in her head it sounded like a delusion. Why would he even deign to speak with her, let alone tease her?

She must have fallen asleep by the pond…. Or something….

Her fingers quickly took hold of the skin of her arm and twisted as she pinched herself.

"Ow, no I'm definitely not dreaming."


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I'm so sorry guys, I know this update took forever hopefully after my daughter's surgery this Friday, I'll be able to manage regular updates again. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

 **Kagome**

 _I still can't believe Sesshoumaru asked us to stay._

As she sat in the gardens watching the kids play, Kagome weighed the pros and cons of accepting the demon lord's offer.

 _Sesshoumaru doesn't do things without purpose… Can it really just be that he's looking for a mother for Rin?_

"Momma?"

Her head snapped up as the two of them came running toward her.

"What's up Shippo?"

"Rin says there's a room full of scrolls here and she doesn't believe I can read. Can we go practice reading so I can show Rin that you really did teach me to read?"

Kagome couldn't have stopped the wide grin that spread across her face if she wanted to. She loved seeing him get so excited over reading.

"Absolutely Shippo."

She got to her feet and felt a tug on her sleeve, pulling her attention to Rin.

"Lady Kagome, did you really teach Shippo to read?"

"Yes I did. I think that education is important for everyone. Just because we're in Feudal Japan shouldn't mean that children don't know he wonder of books."

Rin looked down at her feet as her face turned a bit red. "Could you teach Rin to read?"

Kagome smiled and gently took Rin's hand. "Of course I will, Sweetie."

"Thank you, Lady Kagome!" She flung herself to hug Kagome's legs before letting go.

Both children drug her up the stairs to a room with more scrolls than Kagome had ever seen in a single place since coming to the feudal era.

"Wow," Kagome muttered.

"Lord Sesshoumaru inherited them with the house."

Kagome moved to the wall and searched through the scrolls until she found a simple fairy tale that she could use to teach Rin and a history scroll she thought Shippo would like.

 **Sesshoumaru**

He had tried to focus on the missives he was supposed to go through, but the incessant giggling that seemed to be coming from the upstairs study was pulling his attention elsewhere.

When he eventually gave in to the pull and went to see what his mate was doing to create such joy in his home, he found himself involuntarily smiling.

The Miko was teaching Rin to read and had apparently taught the Kit as well. As the Miko showed Rin what each mark meant and read the story aloud, he was struck by how animated she became. Putting on different tones of her voice to tell the story.

After a moment of watching them, he turned to find Kiriyu, intent on having their meals brought to them to avoid interrupting them.

 **She already treats the human pup as her own.**

 _True, but she hasn't agreed to stay yet._

 **She will. She may be human, but she knows she belongs with us. You just have to stop being an ass.**

Sesshoumaru huffed and continued on with his task, ignoring his beast's final barb.

 **Kagome**

"Lady Kagome?"

The three of them looked up to see Kiriyu standing in the doorway with three packed meals.

"My lord asked that I pack your meals and bring them to you."

Kagome gaped as the demoness handed over their meals. "You didn't have to do that."

"I do as my Lord commands, my Lady." With that Kiriyu left them to their meal.

"Wow, Lord Sesshoumaru never lets Rin eat packed meals separately from the pack."

Kagome glanced at the little girl, bemused. "What do you mean Rin?"

"Dog demons have a thing about meal times being a pack thing, Momma."

She was stumped. _Why would Sesshoumaru have our meals sent up….?_

"He came to the door a while ago, but you and Rin didn't notice. I think he likes you, Momma."

Rin gasped and stared at Kagome with wide eyes. "Lord Sesshoumaru likes Lady Kagome! Does that mean he want to have…"

"Woah! Stop that thought, right now. I don't think Lord Sesshoumaru would be pleased to hear you two speculating on his personal life."

Both kids had the decency to look embarrassed. When they finished their food, Kiriyu came back and took the packs.

Shippo hopped into Kagome's lap excitedly. "Momma, will you read to us as we go to sleep?"

"Of course." Kagome picked out an interesting history scroll she had noticed earlier. Then she helped Rin move her bed roll to their room, before settling on her own to begin reading.

 **Sesshoumaru**

He placed himself outside the Miko's room, content to listen to the ebb and flow of her voice as she read part of his family history. Her voice and scent soothed his nerves.

"Lady Kagome?" Rin's small voice interrupted the Miko's reading.

"Yes, Rin?"

"Um… Rin wondered if she could call you Momma like Shippo does."

"I would be honored for you to call me Momma, Rin."

 **I told you she would stay.**

 _This proves nothing._

Sesshoumaru found himself smiling anyway. Things were going better than he had dared to hope for.

"Momma, do you like Lord Sesshoumaru?"

His entire body went rigid at the small girl's question. He couldn't have moved if he wanted to.

 **Well you're about to find out exactly how screwed you are.**

"Rin, demons don't chose who they love the way humans do. Demons can only like certain people, their mates. It doesn't matter what I think."

"What if he wasn't a demon?"

"Then he wouldn't be himself anymore Rin."

"Okay, then what if he was still himself and you were able to be his mate."

"Rin, when a demon finds their mate they claim them almost immediately. Demons can only resist the pull for a short time before their instincts take over. He'd be half-mad by now if he'd fought the pull for this long. Shippo was just being silly when he said Sesshoumaru might like me."

 _You have no idea, my little Miko._

"Momma, this is supposed to be a 'what if' conversation."

"Okay, okay. Honestly, if he had made a claim to me I probably would have been to terrified to ever go through the well again."

He flinched as pain bloomed in his chest. Hearing her say she feared him was so much worse than just catching the scent of fear on her. At least then he could convince himself that it wasn't just him.

"Why?"

"Well you have to remember, I was only a little older than you when I met him. If an adult male had tried to force himself on me at that age, it would have scared me beyond returning."

"What about now?"

"Oh I don't know. Knowing what I know about demons, I try not to think about him that way, Rin. I think if you're going to imagine yourself in love with a man, you should pick ones that wouldn't shoot poison at you if they found out."

 _I would do no such thing._

 **You don't really have the best track record, now do you?**

Sesshoumaru huffed and got to his feet, planning to head back to his own room.

Instead, the Miko turned sharply out of the room, walking right into him.

His hands were on her arms in an instant as his entire body ached with awareness at her proximity. When their eyes met, the urge to kiss her was so acute that he locked every muscle in place to keep from doing something stupid.

 **Kagome**

She was struck dumb.

Sesshoumaru's hands were on her, he looked totally shocked, and if she didn't know better she would have sworn his eyes had wandered to her mouth.

"I… I'm sorry Sesshoumaru, I didn't see you there."

"Hn."

It struck her in that moment that his hands were surprisingly gentle for a demon named to be deadly. The feeling of his large hands on her arms slowly creeped into her awareness, calling to the baser female instinct within her.

 _Well, there goes my rule about only having fantasies about men that are attainable._

Kagome made herself step away from him, shivering as his claws lightly dragged over her skin. She kept her gaze down as heat rushed to her cheeks, completely mortified by the direction of her thoughts and the fact that the demon before her could probably smell it on her.

"I was just looking for you, actually. I wanted to accept your offer to stay. That is, if you still wanted me to." The words came out in a rush as Kagome tried to avoid what she worried would be an awkward moment.

"Good."

His voice caught her off guard, deeper and rougher than she'd ever heard it, but when she looked up he was already gone.

 **Sesshoumaru**

He leaned against the wall of his bedchamber, fighting back his own rioting instincts.

Arousal. The scent of it had hit him so hard and so heavily, it had left him dizzy and aching. He'd never once dared to dream what her scent would be like tinged with desire, least of all toward him. Now that he had, it clung to his nose, effecting him in a way that nothing had managed to for several hundred years. His fangs ached with the need to claim his mate.

 **Just give in and claim her already.**

 _Not helping._

 **Helping? You're fighting something that was never meant to be fought, pup. You want her as badly as I, and your inner will to fight it is crumbling faster than you'd like to admit. You can either court her civilly, or you can fight it until this pretty cage you've put me in shatters, and I'll claim her my way.**

A sliver of horror managed to override the desire as he took in his own beast's threats. _You wouldn't dare take her against her will._

 **Try me, pup. I know what I am, and I accepted her the moment her scent was caught. My patience with your resistance is growing thinner by the day. If you haven't claimed her by the next time I manage to get control, I will, and she will learn to live with it as any normal demoness would. Banishing the notion she has about how impossible it would be for her to be our mate, an idea which your behavior reinforced, by the way.**

 _Silence._

 **Make me. If you want things done the civil way, then I suggest you start wooing.**

Sesshoumaru growled softly, frustrated with his own brutal instincts. He felt trapped. Stuck in a house with a mate that he didn't dare claim, backed into a hypothetical corner by his own inner demonic instincts.

 **You need open air. It's been a while since we've patrolled our territory, why not take them out of here for a while. Our mate misses being on the move and out of doors just as we do.**

The thought of leaving for a while allowed him to calm down. His inner demon was right, he needed time out of the house, and maybe, just maybe, he could use some of the more beautiful aspects of his lands to bring his little mate over to his side.


	6. Chapter 6

**Kagome**

"Momma!"

Kagome jerked awake as both children piled on top of her.

"Momma, Lord Sesshoumaru says to prepare for patrols," Rin said with a grin as she straightened up.

"Patrols?"

"Yeah, like a really long walk where Lord Sesshoumaru makes sure his lands are safe."

Kagome found herself grinning like an idiot as she scrambled to grab her bag. It had been so long since she'd been out in the world, and she could barely contain her excitement, completely forgetting the events of the night before in her rush to prepare.

Soon she, Shippo, and Rin were standing beside Ah-Un as Jaken stood off to the side muttering.

As soon as Sesshoumaru came out of the house in his armor though, she remembered. The demon seemed to have a new found effect on her and she wasn't sure she liked it. Kagome busied herself with the children, avoiding all eye contact with the demon. Truth be told, she was worried that he would be mocking her over the ordeal soon enough.

The demon started walking without another word, and the others followed without any complaint. Kagome was just glad to be outside, though if she had known they would be leaving she would have asked to go retrieve her bow from Kaede's first.

"Momma?"

"Whaaaat! It is inappropriate…" Jaken went flying before his rant could begin, though neither human saw what really happened.

"What is it Rin?"

The little girl stared as Jaken came out of the bushes murmuring about insolent humans. When he was walking with them once more, she turned her attention back to Kagome.

"Momma, Shippo wants to play I spy, but Rin doesn't know how. Will you teach Rin?"

"Absolutely. First someone says, 'I spy with my little eye, something green.' And the other players try to guess what green thing you're looking at."

"Oh, is it master Jaken?"

"Yep, good job Rin."

"You know a lot of good games, Momma."

Kagome laughed as the two children looked up at her. "That's true, but there are some games that just don't work here. I couldn't imagine what would happen if a bunch of demons started playing kick the can."

"What nonsense are you babbling about? Demons don't play!"

"Shippo plays with Rin, master Jaken."

"That Kit is too young to know any better, and is tainted by humans."

Before anyone could react, Kagome had the little imp by his shirt and had zapped him with her Miko power.

"Listen here you stinking toad, I don't care if you insult me, I've learned to ignore you by now, but don't you dare insult Shippo, understand?"

The little imp wisely chose to remain silent, and she dropped him. When she looked up, her eyes locked with Sesshoumaru, already staring at her appraisingly. Heat rushed to her face, and she quickly ducked her head to avoid his gaze.

 **Sesshoumaru**

 **Our mate is highly protective of the pups.**

 _We do see through the same eyes, do we not?_

 **Grouch.**

His beast was right in chastising him. He'd been in a foul mood ever since he'd realized the Miko was avoiding his gaze. The scent of fear marring her scent to the point that he wanted to whimper.

His mate shouldn't smell of fear in his presence.

The only thing keeping him calm was that the scent of fear was strangely tinged with desire.

That was a scent that he was completely unaccustomed to in her presence. It left him aching with need. Something he couldn't do anything about in the middle of patrols with his ward and the Kit in tow.

They continued on until late in the evening when he chose a place to stop. As soon as he was sure his pack was settled he left to hunt down something for Rin and the Miko, hoping to take out a little frustration.

 **Kagome**

When she noticed that Sesshoumaru was gone, Kagome felt a twinge of worry before she remembered who she was thinking about.

"Rin, did you notice where Lord Sesshoumaru went?"

The little girl stopped in the middle of trying to tag Shippo to blink at her.

"Lord Sesshoumaru leaves to hunt when we stop for the night."

"He could at least warn a person instead of just disappearing," Kagome muttered as she pulled some things from her bag.

"Insolent wench, Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't owe the likes of you any explanation for his actions."

"Just shut up, Jaken, before I zap you again."

The imp quickly scurried off out of the line of fire. Leaving Kagome to enjoy her time with the kids.

When Sesshoumaru came back, he had three decent sized rabbits.

Before he could say a word, Kagome pulled a pocket knife she'd brought from the modern era from her bag and began preparing the rabbit to cook.

 **Sesshoumaru**

He was completely thrown when the Miko took over dinner preparations.

She stepped into the role of pack female so easily. Taking care of the pups and preparing meals without any hesitation. She had stepped into the same role in the whelp's pack.

The whelp hadn't been worthy of her station.

The Miko was too strong for the likes of a half-breed.

"Hey Sesshoumaru, you think if we go near the village I could stop and get my bow?"

The shiver of longing that always hit him when she spoke his name without an honorific hit harder than usual and his eyes snapped to hers. Somehow he had gotten lost in his own thoughts to the point that she was standing right in front of him and he had no clue how she'd gotten so close. For a moment he forgot how to speak.

 **You're blowing it, pup.**

"I will obtain it for you."

The Miko grinned brightly, leaving him completely speechless once more and desperately hoping that she couldn't see the longing he felt on his face.

When the Miko walked away, he caught the eye of the kit and he knew without a doubt that he'd been caught.

The young fox glanced at the Miko before meeting his eye with a raised eyebrow.

 **Put him in his place.**

 _Our mate raised him, he isn't used to demon customs._

 **Then he needs to be taught all the same.**

Sesshoumaru watched the Kit as he returned to eating with Rin. If he truly wanted the Miko, he would need to accept the young fox fully. The boy would need to know how to properly behave as a demon.

When the boy was done eating, he stood and moved to leave.

"Shippo."

The entire pack looked up at him. The boy with wide eyes full of fear.

"Come." He turned on his heel with no doubt that the boy wouldn't disobey him.

"Woah, hold your horses, where do you think you're taking him!"

He turned just in time to see an angry Miko marching right up to him.

 **Haven't you learned not to mess with a female's pups?**

He shook off his beast's comments and focused on the angry Miko.

"It has occurred to me, that you are teaching Rin the ways of humans, yet there is no one to teach the Kit the way to behave as a demon. I simply meant to speak with the Kit to ascertain how behind he may be in what he needs to know."

"Oh it occurred to you?"

He watched, completely bewildered, as her scent shifted to complete fury.

"Look, I understand that things are different in this era, and that you'd rather kill me than treat me as an equal."

His heart constricted at the reminder, and he bit his tongue to remind himself to keep a straight face.

"But from now on, you need to talk to me when it comes to Shippo. I take care of him just like you take care of Rin, and I would never take off with her without saying something to you about it first. I expect the same courtesy from you."

"Momma?"

The Miko stopped ranting long enough to meet the eyes of her kit.

"If it's all right, I'd like to go with Lord Sesshoumaru."

The Miko's anger died down instantly to be replaced with fondness and he felt a flare of jealousy. What he wouldn't give to have that fondness directed at him. He turned silently and walked off into the darkness of the forest, the kit following him quietly.

When he was sure they were far enough not to be heard by the others, but still close enough to sense any danger he stopped. Shippo stood beside him without saying a word and completely still.

 **He at least knows enough not to speak until the alpha does.**

"I realize that fox demons are not normally pack demons, but as the Miko has taken you as her own I have accepted you into my pack. From now on you will learn the proper way to behave amongst other demons." He looked down to see the fox studying him with a wary eye.

"You have questions."

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru."

He let out an irritated huff as the boy continued to look him in the eye. "Consider this your first lesson, it is considered a challenge to look an alpha in the eye for longer than a few seconds. Ask your questions."

The boy averted his gaze and Sesshoumaru nodded in satisfaction at his first attempt a teaching a pup.

"Kagome is your mate, isn't she?"

He hadn't expected the boy to say her name, and he had to grit his teeth for a moment to keep himself from losing it. When he had his instincts in check, he answered the boy.

"Yes, and you will not tell her."

"I didn't think a demon could fight the pull of their mate."

"It isn't natural to do so, but there have been a hand full which have rejected their mate on sight."

The kit glanced up at him with a small frown.

"Forgive me if I'm overstepping, Lord Sesshoumaru, but it doesn't seem like you've rejected her."

"I tried. When I realized the fates had given me a human mate, I thought they were punishing me for questioning their choice of a mate for Father. Not only did I reject her, I tried to kill her. The despair of a lost mate hit instantly even though I'd only known her a few hours. When I realized the Miko had survived, my actions shamed me. I have avoided spending any time in close proximity to the Miko ever sense, watching her grow to be my equal on her own even though I should have been at her side."

"Most demons would have gone mad fighting their instincts by now. Either forcing the bond or killing their mate without meaning to. With her nearby it becomes harder to fight every day."

"What changed to make you stop avoiding her if you knew it would strengthen the bond?"

Sesshoumaru ignored the slip in decorum for the moment, focusing on the kit's question.

"Rin needed a strong female to teach her the ways of humans. The Miko is the only one whom I would trust her with. The pull strengthened faster than I had anticipated, and here we are."

"Well, I won't tell her, but you should."

Sesshoumaru smirked with amusement at the kit. "Is that so?"

"You said yourself that you can't send her away anymore. Better to tell her what's going on than hurt her, right?"

He snorted at that. "You've missed the part where I tried to kill her. Her scent reeks of fear in my presence. No, Shippo, I don't have the right to court her after all that."

"No offense, but don't you think she's old enough to decide whether or not she wants to mate you for herself?"

Before he could say another word the kit took off back to camp.

 **That fox has more sense in his head than you do, pup.**

 _Aren't you done yet?_

Sesshoumaru blew out an irritated breath and slowly made his way back to camp. By the time he returned, the others had all settled in for the night and his heart ached at the sight.

His Miko, the kit, and Rin were all curled up together in the Miko's sleeping roll.

Dog demon packs tended to sleep in what were known as sleep piles on cold nights. He could remember sleeping curled up with his own mother and father as a pup, and suddenly he felt a longing so intense that his instincts were practically screaming. He swallowed thickly and turned away, heading back into the forest.

He couldn't be around her when she was curled up with the pups like that. His soul begged for her, his instincts screamed, and his heart cried out for her in a way that he couldn't handle. He went as far as he dared, and reduced a section of the forest to splinters.

 **Kagome**

Kagome awoke in the middle of the night and frowned when she found that Sesshoumaru was gone again. She could sense his yokai energy in the forest. As she laid there, she got the distinct feeling that he needed her.

 _Get a hold of yourself girl, that demon needs you about as much as he needs a hole in the head._

All the same, she detangled herself from the kids to go find him hiding her aura and scent the way Kaede had told her to.

She stopped dead in her tracks as Sesshoumaru's yokai shifted to rush in her direction. Before she could blink the demon was standing across the clearing she was standing in, his eyes flicking over her form with a frantic sort of energy that she wasn't used to seeing in him. Something akin to panic.

"Your scent…" The words were almost too quiet for her to hear.

"Uh… Kaede taught me how to block it to keep other demons from tracking me."

"Stop…"

"What?"

When he suddenly appeared in front of her, she turned intending to run. Instead he caught her around the waist and pulled her back against his chest.

Kagome's breath caught as he pressed his face against her hair, his nose brushing the shell of her ear as he sniffed her. She couldn't think, couldn't breathe. All she knew was his body pressed intimately against hers.

Then he did something she never thought she'd witness.

He whimpered, tightening his grip on her as he pressed his nose closer. "Stop," he said, his voice breaking on the word.

In her shock she lost the hold on her scent.

She stood completely still as the Demon Lord of the Western Lands nuzzled her hair. It felt like hours before he finally calmed down, and even then she could feel him shaking as he held her.

"You are never to block your scent from this Sesshoumaru again."

It was worded like a command, but she got the impression that he was more begging her not to. By the time he let her go, the sun had started to rise. When she turned around to look at him, his perfect emotionless mask was back in place.

"Rin and Shippo are looking for you."

She couldn't get her mouth to form words, so she chose to nod and head back to camp. Her mind reeling from his strange behavior.

It had been odd to say the least, and yet, as she packed up her things, she couldn't help but wish she was back in his arms.


End file.
